- The provinces ordered a market study and enforcement.
- Risky injections linked to the spread of HIV.
- Report on violations requested by April 27.
ISLAMABAD: Federal health authorities have ordered a nationwide ban on conventional disposable syringes and launched a review of safer alternatives amid growing concern over unsafe injections linked to HIV transmission, News reported Thursday.
The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Director General of Health Dr. Abdul Wali Khan at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), which was attended by DRAP CEO Dr. Obaidullah, senior officials of the Ministry of Health, Deputy Director of WHO Pakistan, representatives of Unicef, Executive Directors of PIMS Dr. Rana Imran Sikandar and Professor Polyclinic Shahzad Munir, officials of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, including its director general, Dr Salman and Dr Mumtaz Ali. Khan, IHRA and infectious disease experts.
Officials said the meeting examined the growing number of HIV infections among children and the general population, with particular concern over unsafe injection practices, syringe reuse and poor infection prevention and control measures.
Health experts say a large proportion of HIV infections are linked to needle reuse and unsafe blood transfusions.
One of the main themes of the meeting was the widespread use of disposable syringes in clinical and informal care settings, increasing the risk of transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
With this in mind, the Federal Ministry of Health has decided to constitute an expert subcommittee to assess whether the continued use of conventional syringes should be restricted or replaced with auto-disable or self-destruct syringes that cannot be reused.
Along with the policy review, Drap ordered strict enforcement of an existing ban on conventional disposable syringes through a nationwide market study.
In a directive issued on April 22, Drap’s Quality Assurance and Laboratory Testing Division ordered the National Task Force for the Eradication of Counterfeit and Substandard Products to conduct a nationwide survey to ensure compliance with the ban and identify any illegal products still being sold in the market.
The letter reiterated that Drap had imposed a total ban on the importation and manufacturing of conventional disposable syringes effective July 31, 2021 and canceled all registrations of these products. However, concerns remain that these syringes continue to circulate, particularly in unregulated segments.
. Provincial drug control authorities have been directed to take strict regulatory action in cases of non-compliance, while a full report on findings and enforcement action has been requested by April 27.
Officials said the crackdown was aimed at removing dangerous syringes from circulation and tackling one of the main drivers of blood-borne infections in the country.
Health experts have long warned that Pakistan remains one of the world’s largest users of therapeutic injections, with millions of shots administered daily, many of them unnecessary and often administered using unsafe practices.
Meeting participants stressed the need for stronger infection prevention and control systems, better monitoring of health care providers and increased public awareness to discourage unnecessary injections. Officials also stressed the importance of ensuring the availability of safer alternatives, including automatic shut-off syringes, particularly in public sector programs.
